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Middle East

Israel’s Goals In Gaza

The families, friends and supporters of the hostages held by Hamas have implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to widen the war in the Gaza Strip. “The expansion of military operations puts every hostage at grave risk,” the families said in a recent statement. “We implore our decision makers: Prioritize the hostages. Secure a deal. […]

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Middle East

The Houthis Strike A Raw Nerve

The Houthis, Israel’s ferocious enemy and Iran’s proxy, struck a raw nerve on the morning of May 4, forcing Israel to respond almost immediately. They fired a ballistic missile from distant Yemen that crashed into an orange grove perilously close to Ben Gurion Airport, one of Israel’s most strategic sites. The projectile left a big […]

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Middle East

The Interminable War In The Gaza Strip

Israel’s longest war since its creation drags on interminably, with no end in sight. Speaking of the 18-month-long conflict in the Gaza Strip a few days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has no intention of finishing it any time soon. Acknowledging that indirect talks with Hamas on ending the war and freeing the […]

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Middle East

Trump’s Iran Policy Seems Unclear

After two rounds of mostly indirect talks in Muscat and Rome over Iran’s controversial nuclear program, the United States and Iran have expressed optimism that progress is being made. The “constructive” atmosphere is such that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sounded upbeat following the last session on April 19. He told reporters that negotiations were […]

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Middle East

The U.S.-Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Donald Trump is trying to fix what he broke. In 2018, during his first term as U.S. president, Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, denouncing it as a terrible deal and imposing crippling sanctions on Iran’s economy. Last week, in an about-face,Trump dispatched a delegation to Oman to lay the ground […]

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Middle East

Syria — A Source Of Tension Between Israel And Turkey

Israel and Turkey have taken the first concrete step to reduce tensions over their respective interests in Syria. Yesterday, Israeli and Turkish delegations conferred in Azerbaijan  for talks to head off incidents that could degenerate into full-blown clashes between Israel and Turkey. “Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a political-security delegation led by […]

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Middle East

Trump Disappointed Netanyahu

Compared to his upbeat meeting with Donald Trump in Washington in February, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s  most recent encounter with the U.S. president was generally disappointing. Netanyahu arrived at the White House on March 7, fresh from a successful visit to Hungary, whose illiberal president, Viktor Orban, is aligned with Israel and the United States […]

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Middle East

Hamas Faces Protests In Gaza

Rumblings of discontent rolled through the Gaza Strip this week, raising speculation that Hamas’ popularity, such as it is, could well be on the wane. In the past few days, hundreds of Palestinians have taken to the streets of Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah to vent their frustration and anger over a […]

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Middle East

Israel Is Expanding West Bank Settlements

Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is methodically expanding the network of Israeli settlements in the West Bank at a blistering pace, deliberately foreclosing the increasingly remote possibility of a two-state solution with the Palestinians. This comes as no surprise. Netanyahu, a champion of settlements, has said that Jews have an […]

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Middle East

The Houthis Remain Defiant Despite U.S. Attacks

The United States has escalated its military campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but they remain defiant, prompting speculation whether they can be defeated any time soon. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered a massive wave of air strikes on their command centers, weapons depots and training sites. The bombings, the heaviest ever targeting […]